Strong Storms Lead To Major Flooding in The Greater Central Texas Area

Last week, over a foot of rain has been dumped on parts of central Texas. Austin and many other surrounding counties have been greatly affected by flash flooding. Over 14 inches of rain has been reported, and over 81 flood-related rescues were called in to emergency services. Emergency personnel have rescued over 100 people by means of helicopters and boats. Since Thursday the weather has died down and there was no more heavy rain to be expected. The area that was hit the hardest was a city south of Austin; Onion Creek. Late Thursday afternoon a body was recovered, and officials are still trying to identify this person. Many residents made it out of their homes just in time, and had to take shelter in trees and on rooftops until they could be rescued. At about 10:30 A.M, it was reported that at least 9,800 people were without power in their homes. Over 6,500 of them were in a flood affected zone.

As well as many road closures due to flooding, floodgate operations even went underway on the Tim Miller Dam due to extreme flood conditions over Lake Austin. Officials have reported that over 600 homes have been affected by the severe flood damage, and that recovery won’t be easy. Many evacuations took place on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and it was said that downtown Austin received more than 5 inches of rain throughout the peak of the rainfall. To the southeast, Houston motorists were slowed Thursday morning by heavy rain, which caused flooding in some areas. A flash flood warning was issued until midday Thursday for parts of Southeast Texas, including Beaumont. Many of the lakes in the area have undergone significant rises due to the massive amounts of rain as well.

Shelters in Austin have opened their doors to residents that have been relocated for the time being due to evacuations, and also to residents that were rescued from their flooded-out homes. They opened at about 10 A.M Thursday for anybody who needed assistance. It is very important not to try and cross a road that has been taken over by water. If you try to cross, your car may get stranded in the flood waters. It is always a good idea to have an emergency plan and emergency kit ready for when catastrophes strike. Stay tuned to your local weather station for any updates on the system!